1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to the control of data networks serving mobile wireless users. In particular, the present invention is directed to a system for policy management in a data network that uses policy rules to control and charge services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Operators of mobile wireless networks have in recent years added data networks to their core networks to allow them to offer data services to their mobile subscribers. However, network operators did not develop unified systems for controlling subscriber access and did not develop a unified way to charge for data services. For example, a network operator may have deployed one control and charging system at a network gateway for general access to data network services and then deployed control and charging systems for each individual service offered. However, this approach has become increasingly burdensome as network operators want to deploy ever more services.
New services could be deployed faster and with less expense if each new service did not require a new controlling and charging system. To meet this need, standards bodies have proposed unified policy and charging control architectures. One example of this effort is the 3GPP R7 Policy Control and Charging Architecture. (See Technical Specification 23.203 V8.0.0 (2007-12), which is incorporated by reference in its entirety). This architecture allows customized control and charging policies to be made and enforced for unique combinations of subscribers and services. Each subscriber may have a unique assortment services that they are allowed to use, at rates unique to the subscriber. Each service may have unique requirements for network resources in order to properly provide the service.
In the 3GPP architecture, control and charging enforcement is performed in an access gateway between a carrier's data access network and service providing networks. The gateway has a policy enforcement engine called a Policy Control and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) in 3GPP. The PCEF examines packets passing through the gateway and enforces control and charging policy decisions on the packets. These policy decisions are generated by a policy decision engine called a Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) in 3GPP. A Gx reference point carries subscriber information and access session information from the PCEF to the PCRF and policy decisions from the PCRF to the PCEF. To generate policy decisions, the PCRF needs subscription information from a subscription profile repository and service information from an internal application function. An Sp reference point carries subscription information from the subscription profile repository to the PCRF. An Rx reference point carries service information from the internal application function to the PCRF.
The 3GPP architecture described above is designed for enforcement of policy decisions by the PCEF in the access gateway. However, it does not provide the flexibility to enforce policy decisions at gateways in a carrier's service providing network. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there is a significant need for a system to provide policy enforcement capabilities at access gateways. The present invention provides this and other advantages as will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying figures.